RUSH University Medical Center researchers have found that regular exercise on a treadmill can improve symptoms of Parkinson’s disease in mice.
This exciting discovery gives hope for better management of Parkinson’s symptoms in the future.
In the study, mice with Parkinson’s disease ran on a treadmill for half an hour, six days a week, over two months.
This regular exercise regimen halted the spread of the α-synuclein protein, a key player in Parkinson’s disease, and reversed changes that occurred in the brain due to the disease.
Importantly, these effects occurred without the use of any drugs.
The study’s lead, Professor Kalipada Pahan, acknowledges that not all Parkinson’s patients might be able to exercise regularly on a treadmill.
This recognition prompted the team to search for a drug that could mimic the effects of treadmill exercise.
The Search for a Drug Alternative
Current treatment options for Parkinson’s disease can be inadequate, with many associated side effects.
As Professor Pahan points out, “Once patients are diagnosed with these neurodegenerative disorders, there are no drugs available for halting the disease progression.”
To tackle this challenge, the research team set out to identify a drug that could emulate the beneficial effects of treadmill exercise, particularly its ability to inhibit α-synuclein pathology and protect the brain.
The Promise of Fenofibrate
The team discovered that a drug known as fenofibrate, commonly used to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, could reproduce the effects of treadmill exercise in the brain.
According to the study, fenofibrate activated PPARα in the brain, just like treadmill exercise. This activation is crucial to combating Parkinson’s disease.
With a low daily dose of fenofibrate, the spread of α-synuclein in the brain was slowed down, and dopamine, a neurotransmitter affected by Parkinson’s, was protected.
Notably, these beneficial effects occurred even without treadmill exercise.
However, the study also revealed that the mice who benefited from this approach already had the PPARa protein, which is associated with Parkinson’s disease.
Looking Forward
These findings bring new hope to people living with Parkinson’s disease.
They suggest that a combination of regular exercise and medication like fenofibrate might help control Parkinson’s symptoms and potentially even prevent the disease.
This study was a collective effort by several researchers from Rush University Medical Center, including Dr. Debashis Dutta, Dr. Ramesh Kumar Paidi, Dr. Sumita Raha, Dr. Avik Roy, and Dr. Sujyoti Chandra, alongside Professor Pahan.
If you care about Parkinson’s disease, please read studies about Vitamin E that may help prevent Parkinson’s disease, and Vitamin D could benefit people with Parkinson’s disease.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about new way to treat Parkinson’s disease, and results showing COVID-19 may be linked to Parkinson’s disease.
The study was published in Cell Reports.
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